HC Deb 01 May 1896 vol 40 cc344-5
MR. L. P. HAYDEN (Roscommon, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether it has come to his knowledge that at the recent quarter sessions held for the county of Down, and whilst the sessions were still pending, a document was circulated for signature amongst the solicitors then practising at said sessions advocating the appointment as County Court Judge of Mr. J. Walker Craig, Q.C., who was then presiding as locum tenens; (2) whether there is at present an actual vacancy in the County Court Judgeship of said county; and (3) if so, whether there is any intention of appointing to said office the said Mr. J. Walker Craig, who in 1892 was a candidate for election to Parliament for the same county; and, whether there is any precedent for such an appointment?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I am not aware of the matters mentioned in first paragraph of Question. There is, at present, no vacancy in the County Court Judgeship. Whenever a vacancy occurs the qualifications of the candidates and their local connections, if any, will be duly considered.

MR. JOHN DILLON

Is there any precedent for appointing a gentleman to the office of County Court Judge in a county where he has been a Parliamentary candidate?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

That appears to me to be an abstract question.

MR. DILLON

Surely that is not the case. I asked whether there was any precedent—

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!